In 1947 India and Pakistan emerged as new independent states and the Indian army was divided. There were no senior native officers and both countries decided to keep British officers at senior posts while native officers were given accelerated promotions to prepare them for senior positions. In India, General Robert Lockhart (commissioned in 51st Sikh,…
The British Indian army consisted of Indian soldiers and British officers. Indians served as non-commissioned officers called Native Officers and later Viceroy Commissioned Officers (VCOs). The debate about opening the officer rank to Indians lingered over few decades in India and England and the issue was finally settled after the First World War when it…
A young teenager wrote in his diary; “I’ll not be a common man. I will stir the smooth sands of monotony”. His name was Peter O’Toole and by 1962, he surely was not a common man just like the character of T.E. Lawrence that he played. O’Toole died on December 14, 2013. He is known…
No conflict is static and it changes with the time. It evolves with changing policies, interests, capabilities and competing interests of key players. All these factors influence a conflict and Af-Pak theatre is no different. The announcement of major U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 influenced the decisions of many regional…
In 2008, after the election of President Barack Obama, new administration re-visited the neglected Afghan theatre. After incremental escalations and surge, President Obama announced withdrawal of majority of U.S. troops by the end of 2014. This set in motion gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops and equipment starting in 2010-11. From 100’000 troops the numbers are…
King’s Counsel by Jack O’Connell is a fascinating account of important events of Middle East by someone who was involved in different capacities. This book was published in 2011 after Jack’s death. A brief biography of author is important to understand his role. Jack earned well rounded qualifications in different fields before joining Central Intelligence…
William Dalrymple’s latest work Return of a King is a fascinating account of First Anglo-Afghan War of 1939-42. Dalrymple is a well known historian of India and his previous works City of Djinns, White Mughals and The Last Mughal are based on his extensive research spanning several years while living in India. One crucial factor…
Colonel Aga Javed Iqbal passed away in Dubai on July 16, 2013. He was from the first generation of post-independence officer corps that joined Pakistan army right after independence. He was from the generation that absorbed all the best traditions of British Indian army and carried it forward in the formative years of the army…
Vali Nasr’s latest work The Dispensable Nation is a tour of the back alleys of diplomacy with all the cat fights of bureaucracy as well as a broad review of U.S. policy and some prescriptions about the future course. Part of the book is based on his experience of working inside the tent, he was…
Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Mazzetti’s book The Way of the Knife is a welcome addition to an increasing amount of work on ongoing conflicts. Mazzetti’s work is based on extensive research and interviews with key players in a secret war that is going on for the last decade. The book provides details of debate within…
